Toy-railway crossover.



No. 692,666. PATLNTED JULY '1,' 1906.

H. c. IvEs.

TOY RAILWAY CROSSOVER.

APPLICATION FILED 9116.29, 1907.

l .l L :zw-m26 13 1f li- 13' JI y 2v2/3% QT? U vUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY C. IVES, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

TOY-RAILWAY CROSSOVER.

To all whom t 'may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY C. Ives, a citizenkof the United States, and resident of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy-Railway Crossovers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in Crossovers, so called, for toy railway tracks, and is designed to be used as a part of miniature railway systems such as are now found upon the market. The tracks of these systems are constructed principally of sheet metal and in sections adapted to be joined together to form continuous tracks, and upon which a small train propelled by a clock spring movement, steam or electricity, Operates.

- It is the object of my invention to design a simple form of crossover, which can be installed at the junction of two intersecting tracks of the above class; which may be made of sheet metal in somewhat the same manner that the regular toy sections of track are manufactured, and in a very much more simple and less expensive way than crossovers of this class have heretofore been made; to 4form the construction in a desirable and practical way and in a manner to permit of it being connected up in the same way that the commercial sections of this class of track are now joined together.

With the above and other minor objects in view my invention resides and consists in the novel construction and combination of parts shown upon the accompanying two sheets of drawings forming a part of this specification, upon which similar characters of reference denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several figures and of which;

Figure 1, shows a plan view of an improved crossover constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2,is a detached plan view of the side rails shown in upper and lower portion of Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is a detached plan view of a 'special design of cross frog comprising a part of the invention, as indicated in Fig. 1. Fig. 4, is a detached plan view of the end rail sections shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5, is a vertical cross sectional view through cross-frog, and taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 1, as seen from side indicated by arrow. Fig. 6, is a similar cross sectional view illustrating a modified form of cross frog, constructed of two parts. Fig. 7, is a further cross section of cross frog, taken Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 20,

Patented July '7, 1908.

1907. Serial No. 389,359.

on line 7-7 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 8, is a similar cross section illustrating a cross-frog, formed of cast metal.l

As will be noted my improved cross over may be constructed entirely of sheet metal, through cast metal can be employed for some of the parts if desired. The rails however are preferably formed of sheet metal in somewhat the same manner as the commercial take down' miniature railway tracks before referred to.

In the formation of my crossover, I first cut the rails, then bend, lit and arrange the samcto form the particular style of cross over desired. It being obvious that two or more different designs of cross overs may be constructed to provide for the crossing of the tracks at different angles, as for instance at either a right angle, or a more acute angle, if desired as illustrated in the drawings. The cross frog however, must be formed special for each style of cross-over. The crossover further comprises a pair of sections A and B which together with the connected cross-frog forni two distinct tracks that cross each other at desired angles.v These track sections are alike in construction and each comprise a pair of end rails on two sides of the frog, which line with each other and may form four pairs of short rails with the inner ends of the adjoining rails of the respective pairs, connected togcther and supported upon a central plate.

Referring in detail to the characters o'f reference marked upon the drawings 10-10 indicates two side rails shown at the top and bottom'of Fig. 1, while 11-11 indicates end rails shown at either side of said figure. The outer end portions of all of these rails are secured to and supported upon sleepers 12, while the outer ends of the tread portions of said rails are provided with sockets, and pins for connection to adjoining track sections, not shown. The inner end of the several rails are supported and secured upon a plate 13 that may be of any desired shape, and preferably formed of sheet metal and having depending legs 14 to support the same in line with the end sleepers. The side rails 10 are formed by iirst notching out one side of a straight rail, as indicated by 15 in Fig. 2, and then bending the same so as t0 close the notch and deflect the two end portions at such an angle with reference to each other as may be required to form the particular style of cross over wanted. The inner ends of the end rails 11 are first beveled as indicated at 16 in Fig. 4, and then arranged and soldered together at the angle desired, after which they are attached to the base plate in line with the side rails 10.

17 represents the crossfrog which is preferably formed of sheet metal and stamped up to produce the several ribs shown, which form guides for the flanges of the car wheels to direct their movement across the frog from one rail section to another. The rib portions 18 are obviously in line with the respective rails while the shorter ribs are distanced therefrom to form flange ways to further guide the flanges of the car wheels. The top surface of the main portion 26 of the cross-frog is designed to be in a plane corresponding with that of the horizontal movement of the eripheral edge of the lianges of the car whee s, so as to insure the traveling of the wheels across the frog by the engagement of said portions of the flanges upon the surface of the frog, rather than by the engage- Cri ment of the tread of the wheel on the rib. This I find insures a steady movement of the train when crossing the open flange ways 20 intermediate of the rails and ribs, and will not subject a car to the shake and rattle caused by the movement of the same, if the tread of the wheel is permitted to drop into the space forming said flange ways.

I further incline the outer surfaces 21 of the cross-frog adjacent to its edge intermediate of the ribs 19 and the rails as is clearly shown in Figs. 7 and 3, to insure the anges of the wheels taking and leaving the frog smoothly and without danger of jumping the track. When constructed as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the cross frog is provided with depending legs 22 that engage the supporting plate 13 and to which they may be attached, if desired. Their end portions however, are cut to conform to the surface of the sides of the rails which serve to retain the cross-frog intermediate the said rails without the necessity of any other means of attachment.

The cross-frog may if desired be formed of two pieces of sheet metal as shown in Fig. 6. The several ribs, flange-ways, and inclines before described being formed in the top member 23 which may be riveted or otherwise secured to the under portion 24, having legs 25 similar to those employed on the frog formed of a single piece.

In Fig. 8, a frog is shown formed of cast metal, and the top surface includes ribs, flange-ways, inclines, etc. designed to conform to the surface of the sheet metal frogs, and like them is supported upon the bottom plate 13 indicated in the several figures. In some instances the cast metal frog is perfectly practical while the other form is obviously lighter and perhaps cheaper to produce when manufactured in quantities.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a toy railway crossover, the combination with two or more connected pairs of rails arranged at angles to each other, a plate to support the intersecting ends of said rails, and a cross-frog mounted upon the plate adjoining the intersection of said rails.

2. In a toy railway crossover, the combination with two annularly disposed track sections having the ends of their intersecting rails connected and each section comprising two. pairs of end rails, a plate to which the rails are secured and a cross frog secured upon said plate intermediate the intersecting end portions of said rails.

3. In a toy railway crossover, the combination with two track sections arranged at angles to each other and each comprising two pairs of end rails having their alternate in- 35 tersecting ends connected, sleepers to support the outer ends of the rails, a central plate to which the connected inner ends of all the rails are secured, and a cross frog see cured upon said plate intermediate the said inner end-portions of said rails.

4. In 'a toy railway crossover the combination with two track sections arranged at angles to each other and comprising four pairs of short rails having the inner ends of the adjoinin rails of the res ective pairs connected toget ier, a central p ate to which the rails are secured, and a cross-frog mounted upon the plate and intermediate the inner ends of the rails.

5. In a toy railway crossover, the combination of a plate, a cross -frog mounted thereon, rail sections secured to the plate and arranged with respect to the cross-frog to form two tracks crossing each other at suitable angles.

6. In a toy railway crossover, the combination with two track sections arranged at angles and crossing each other, a plate to which the intersecting portions of the sec- 11o tions are secured, a cross-frog intermediate the intersecting portions of the track sections and having its top surface inclined adjacent to the edges to form flange ways to receive and support the peripheral edge of the flange of a car wheel.

7. In a toy railway crossover, the combination with two track sections arranged at angles and crossing each other, sleepers to support the outer ends of said sections, a plate to which the intersecting portions of the sections are secured, a cross-frog intermediate the intersecting portions of the track sections and having its top inclined adjacent to the edges to form ange ways to re 125 ceive and support the peripheral edge of the flange of the wheel.

8. In a toy railway crossover, the combination of two track sections arranged at angles and crossing each other, a plate to support the intersecting portions of the rails, a ,register with the lines of the track sections cross-frog arranged intermediate of the inand having depending legs to engage and tersecting portions of the track sections and su port the track upon the plate. havin dependin legs to engage the plate. idned at Bridgeport, in the county of 9. Ign a toy raiglway crossover, the combi- Fairlqielck'and State of Connecticut, this 15th 15 nation of two track sections arranged at anday of July, A. D., 1907. gles and crossing each other, a sheet metal HARRY C. IVES.

cross frog arranged intermediate of the inter- Witnesses: sectingportions of the track sections, and C. M.' NEWMAN, 10 stampe up to form ribs and flange Ways to RUTH RAYMOND. 

